


There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart

by serendipitous_rambles



Series: "What if?": Awae Season 4 [1]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Marilla is secretly a sap for romance, Shirbert reunion, these two idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22164052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: Anne and Gilbert reunite for the first time after being away at college.// Title from Emma by Jane Austen
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: "What if?": Awae Season 4 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595380
Comments: 7
Kudos: 270





	There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a little something to celebrate 3.5k on my Tumblr (@carrotsofavonlea) thank you so much!
> 
> I'm hoping this will be a series of S4 "what if" episodes, a kind of look into how I think a season 4 could go. Idk when I'll be updating the series but I have a few one shots planned that I think could all fit together so that's what I'll do.

"Anne would you please sit down." Marilla put a jug on the table before bringing her fists to her waist. "I should think your pacing isn't going to make Gilbert appear any faster."

Anne had only been home from college for a day, but she was anxiously awaiting Gilbert's visit. In his last letter he'd said he'd come to Green Gables the minute he got home, but the waiting was driving her mad. She hadn't physically seen him for months, the letters were nice but they were nothing compared to the sound of his voice or the way he raised his eyebrows at her or how his eyes stared into hers. 

The snow began to pick up and she feared he wouldn't be able to make the trip across the fields, or worse that he hadn't been able to make the trip from Toronto at all. 

"Marilla what if he's stuck in Toronto? Or he forgot what I look like and when he sees me he's disappointed? Is this dress ok? I think I need to change." Anne was about to run up the stairs when Marilla put a hand on her arm. 

"Anne, from what you've told me that boy does not care what you look like. You're still so vain."

"I know. I thought I'd matured but I'm just so nervous. I haven't seen him in months. I didn't know you could miss someone this much."

"I'm sure he's missed you as well. Now please try to calm yourself."

Anne nodded, turning away to "calmly" look out the window but she couldn't keep her foot from tapping against the floor. She breathed on the window so it fogged up and she could draw on the glass a little heart. As she finished, a figure appeared outside framed within the heart.

Anne gasped, grabbing her coat and pushing past Marilla into the snow.

"Gilbert!"

"Anne!" As soon as he saw her he also began running.

She jumped at him, his arms immediately closing around her as he held her tightly. Her head fit into the crook of his neck as he spun her around, tears brimming in their eyes. He didn't think he could hold her tight enough.

But the ground beneath them didn't approve, and his foot slipped bringing them down to the snow. Gilbert fell on his back, the fall knocking his hat from his head and the snow settling white flakes in his dark curls. His arms were still around Anne, and hers were resting against his chest. They began laughing, their breaths visibly mixing in the cold air. 

But then their laughter died down, finally the situation sinking in. They were together. 

Anne couldn't help it, and pulled down his scarf that was obscuring his chin, and pressed her lips against his, their cold noses touching.

"I missed this." He said once Anne pulled away, his hand coming up to brush her cheek.

"I love you." She wanted to say it,  _ needed  _ to say it. Turns out he'd never gotten her original letter where she confessed her feelings, and she'd never read his. In follow up letters she'd wanted to say it, but settled for ending letters "with love" instead. For something as important as love, she wanted to tell him face to face. 

His reaction was all she needed, his eyes growing warm despite the cold and brimming with what she could only describe as romance, as love. The way he always looked at her, but somehow it meant more.

"I love you too." Hearing those words in his voice were even more romantic than Anne had imagined, and she felt herself tearing up.

For so long she hadn't allowed herself to even imagine that one day she'd hear those words, but now it was happening and nothing could've prepared her for how it felt. And from Gilbert Blythe no less? The world really was a strange place, but she was oh so lucky to be alive in it. That was for certain.

She pressed her forehead against Gilbert's, feeling her heart over filling with just how much she loved him. It was indescribable.

But then her brain brought her back to reality, making her scramble to stand up. "I think Marilla is watching us from the window."

Gilbert laughed, taking the hand Anne had outstretched to him. Before they would have dropped each other's hands, but now Gilbert held on tight intertwining his fingers with hers as they headed towards Green Gables.

  
  


* * *

Marilla watched as Gilbert held Anne's chair out for her, how he had opened the door for her when they'd entered. He certainly had grown into a young gentleman, and she couldn't be happier for Anne. A part of her saw the John in Gilbert, and her heart hurt a little, wondering how different things could have been for her. But Anne hadn't made that mistake, she'd found the love that Marilla had denied herself.

The dinner table was alive with laughter for the first time in months. Once Anne had arrived all those years ago and changed the atmosphere, the rooms were never quite the same. After she'd gone to college and it had once again returned to the quiet state of just Matthew and Marilla, something felt off. The balance had shifted and things could never go back to the way they were before Anne. 

But she had brought even more life home with her in the shape of Gilbert. Anne was excitedly retelling her adventures at Queens and Gilbert would sit and listen, his eyes glued to her as if he was about to go blind tomorrow and was trying to savour every last image of her.

Gilbert would less excitedly tell his stories, mostly just recounting his new "chums", but Anne still listened with adoration, just missing the sound of his voice.

When it was time to leave, Anne walked Gilbert out to the gate of Green Gables. He'd refused to let her walk him all the way home and instead they comprised. 

Anne climbed up on the other side of fence so that she was face to face and equal height with Gilbert to lean forward to kiss his cheek. 

"I'll call on you tomorrow?" She said, "I really missed Dellie and Bash, I'd love to see them again."

"That's all?" He raised an eyebrow and she couldn't keep back a smile.

"Ok... maybe you as well."

"I'll be eagerly awaiting your visit." He picked up one of her hands and brought it to his lips, kissing it. "Goodnight, my Anne with an E."

"Goodnight, Gil." 

Even though it was cold outside, Anne had never felt warmer. It wasn't until he was gone that she truly realised just how much she could miss him. Until she almost lost him to Winifred, he had always been such a constant in her life that perhaps she had taken for granted. When faced with the idea of no more Gilbert, it put everything into perspective that this wasn't just some school girl crush, but a love grown out of friendship and support of each other. A love that she'd felt for a while and just couldn't understand. Being apart from him at college only worsened that pining. 

She'd thought once she'd got him she could keep him, but the longing was never over, just waiting until their next meeting. Moments were fleeting and they'd savour any small chance they got, but what kept them going was knowing that one day they would not have to say goodbye. While it may be in the future, it was enough for now just to share those brief touches of hands, or quick kisses when no one was looking.

As Anne helped Marilla clean the kitchen that night, she couldn't stop sighing. Marilla had to send her away out of fear she'd drop something in all her "mooning". But she didn't mind so much, there was something about young love that could soften even the hardest of hearts, and Anne certainly had softened Marilla's.


End file.
